Ok, forget all of the Nirvana comparisons for one second. Yeah sure they dip their feet into the Seattle waters from time to time, but there is so much else on the Vines debut, it simply adds to the over-all appeal. I immediately gravitate towards singer Craig Nichols' screaming vocals. Somehow he puts his own unique twist on a vocal style long since original. After that, are the lyrics which at their best, take no prisoners and weep with angst and sorrow. At their worst, they become sing-a-long punk-pop projects. (nothing wrong with that at all)

There is an immediate feeling to the record. And it's important feeling too. The feeling of something new and fresh, yet so familiar. Right away we realize these guys have some great CD collections, but further more, we realize they use what they know. One could say "Highly Evolved" is a sum of it's influenced parts.

Highlights for me include the blitzing single "Get Free", the emotionally charged, "Country Yard" and quick hit wonder of "Highly Evolved".

These four aussie rockers have pushed their way here with an album that sounds like it would never get a chance, but somehow did. It is the sound of kids that are fed up with the rap metal thing and yawn at the uninspired state of "safe" alternative radio. It's an album that will please immediately but will pleasure for a lot longer.

'Highly Evolved' is quite good. There. I've said it. "Quite" good. You'd be forgiven, having read the hyperbole surrounding Australia's Vines, for thinking they'd resurrected Princess Di, discovered a cure for cancer and performed all manner of other miracles in one fell swoop. They haven't. They've made a fairly good, punky, melodic, rock n roll album. That the music press in Britain has gone so overboard, hailing Craig Nicholls and Co as the best band for a decade (erm, what about Oasis, Radiohead, The Strokes etc...), is a reflection on the rather pathetic desperation of the media to find the next big thing, and then convince an unsuspecting public that it is considerably better and more thrilling than it actually is. Well, it made me go out and buy the album anyway.....

Onto the actual music. Nicholls is a decent front man, by turns angry, joyous and reflective. Musically the album mixes punk, grunge, acoustic strumming and full-on rock wig-outs, the influence of Nirvana and Supergrass readily apparent. The stand out tracks (admittedly after only 3 listens) are Country Yard, Highly Evolved and Mary Jane. However, groundbreaking 'Highly Evolved' aint. This isn't the only drawback (The Strokes' album is rather derivative, but still brilliant) - the album just doesn't excite like it should. It could have been made by any one of a dozen marginal indie bands, and to compare it to debuts such as Oasis' 'Definitely Maybe' or the first Stone Roses album is, to my mind, ludicrous. Still, you should draw your own conclusions - I'm sure a thousand people will think I'm an idiot on reading this.....

People that hate on The Vines have probably only heard a few songs (the radio/mtv ones), but do not realize how different the rest of the cd is. It's sort of psychadelic, sort of depressing, but good throughout. They have nice rock solos and definitely are an enjoyable band. There is so much variety on their FIRST CD.

"Highly Evolved" - good track, but it's just a bit short. something you can tap your toe to and nod your head to

"Autumn Shade" - a somewhat haunting (all those background voices), slow song with a nice solo at the end, which leads into the next song with a distortion noise..

"Outtathaway" - a catchy rock song, that became a single after "get free." has the nice dual voice thing during the verses, also has a good distortion solo.

"Sunshinin'" - sounds like a stoner song, which can be ambiguous. pretty easy going, maybe something to drive along to

"Homesick" - the best song off the cd, with well-written lyrics, nice use of piano, and dual vocals during the verse. Has the best solo on the album as well.

"Get Free" - obligatory the radio song/single, but it's still a very good effort. the ultimate "get pumped up" to do something song. the 'hardest' sounding rock song on the cd.

"Country Yard" - slow-paced song, yet has the at times screaming vocals of frontman Craig Nicholls, which is odd, but works well. ends with a little folky riff

"Factory" - a very happy, high energy song. you can see the influence of the Beatles (Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da), like the ska/reggae style guitar playing. chorus is the weakest part of the song, but the three verses are well written and sung.

"In The Jungle" - sometimes fast, sometimes slow, lots of screaming. catchy chorus though (in the jungle, in the jungle)

"Mary Jane" - nice intro, nice guitar throughout. a little too slow and a little too long. my least favorite track

"1969" - good song to end the cd with. a lot of songs on the cd seemed influenced by the 60's. a little long though, but good stuff.

All in all, the 12 song CD is one worth purchasing. People expect a lot of rock, but many of their songs are slow and have meaningful lyrics. They have awesome solos on their songs and are pretty creative with the vocals. You might want to check out some of their cover songs, "Miss Jackson" (Outtathaway single) and "I'm only sleeping" (I am Sam Sdtrk), as well as their 2nd CD, Winning Days (released March 23, 2004)

The Vines released this album during a time that both hurt and helped their public perception and acceptance. With the impending onslaught of the "the" bands and the absolutely phenomenal hype surrounding them all, The Vines were subjected to intense amounts of comparisons and criticism. In addition to the constant comparisons made to The White Stripes, The Hives, and The Strokes, they were also compared to the likes of The Beatles, Nirvana, and The Stooges. Essentially none of these comparisons did anything good for The Vines. When lumped in with the other "The" bands, they were often confused and lost in the shuffle, and when compared to legends such as the Beatles and Nirvana naturally people's reactions were to be offended and point out the ways in which (in their opinions) The Vines didn't measure up to these greats. However, any publicity is good publicity (for the most part) so regardless of what people thought, the hype was still there.

It's unfortunate however that this all took place, because if you can look past all the discussion and debate you will find that this release is honestly just plain good music. While The Vines do possess some similarities to The Strokes, Hives, and White Stripes (see "Get Free"), that isn't all that there is to their equation. When the band truly shines is in their softer more poignant moments. Tracks such as "Homesick", "Autumn Shade", and "Mary Jane" display the true talent that this band has, and in my opinion sets them a pier above the likes of The Strokes, and The Hives. (The White Stripes can hold their own. You'll see no bad-mouthing of them here). Many of these tracks feel like they've been pulled right out of the late 60's and given a modern rock twist, and on the whole it works tremendously.

Overall this is an extremely good release, regardless of what is being sad about the band in the press. If nothing else this is a tribute to the sounds that used to be, and maybe that never should have left, and it's refreshing to hear them again.

There are rare times when you just know you're listening to IT. Not it, but IT. Nirvana's Teen Spirit. Beatles' Day in the Life. Radiohead's Paranoid Android. Enter stage, The Vines. Charging out the box, holding back no punches, left jab, right hook, and you're on the ground in delirious pleasure. The world spins rapidly, blood in your mouth, sweat on your face, and the Vines know you're not getting back up. Mission accomplished.

This is the voice of a generation. The perfect rock star, with the swagger, messy hair in his eyes, and a look of hunger and passion. Screaming like a mad man, he tears his throat in half on Get Free, inviting us all to share in the insanity. "COME IN, COME IN, COME IN" Do you believe? Get Free is just barely over 2 minutes, containing more surprises and hooks than seem logically possible. They boil down Nirvana into its purest extract; just a drop of this stuff could kill you or take you to Heaven. The Vines then add their own poison, their own sound, and we get the most ferocious song of recent memory. The ugly atonal intro sets the moment, shredding the silence. The drums kick in, driving and thundering. And Craig Nicholls is just brilliant. The song is full of anger, bitterness, and just the right amount of jaded apathy. My god. This is song is alive.

The rest of the album? The Vines are exceptionally talented and it's hard to pin them down. They do sound like the Beatles and Nirvana, but the Beatles and Nirvana had multiple styles too. As such, you get the angry punk songs like Get Free and Highly Evolved. But, they change it on you, descending like a dreamy mist on songs like Autumn Shade and Mary Jane. Stirring your heart strings, Homesick has the fabulous line, "But it really doesn't matter/Couldn't change it if I tried/ But I'll do it till I get it right" The song ends on a beautiful solo, complete with backwards guitars. It's simply lovely.

The Vines have a dedication and a real love for the music. The Factory sounds like the Beatles at their best. Sunshinin' has a poppy groove, perfect for warm summer days. And 1969 really is the kicker, a perfect closer to the greatest record of 2002. Craig sings like an inspired John Lennon as the guitar work drops bombs all around. It closes with psychedelic swirling guitars, you feel like you're caught in a windstorm tossed back and forth. The storm dies down, the waters recede, and the album is over.

There is nothing like the Vines. There has been nothing as relevant and exciting as the Vines since Nirvana. This is the Second Coming.